1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates generally to the field of surfboards and particularly to a composite, two piece board that can disengage from a large paddle board sized board into a smaller, high-performance surfboard once in the surf.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Surfing and all modes of wave catching have been popular endeavors for decades. A person wishing to catch a ride on a breaking wave can paddle into the waves on his or her stomach, paddle into and catch the wave, and then stand up and ride the moving wave. This is typically accomplished with a surfboard, of varying lengths and shapes, made of polyurethane or expanded polystyrene foam that is covered with layers of fiberglass cloth and polyester or epoxy resin. Boogie boards are another popular way to catch waves, which are smaller, square-shaped and made of foam. Boogie boards generally are too small to allow for standing up once in the wave, but do provide a means for catching a wave with a short board that is made of soft material.
Additionally wave riding tools include kayaks, which can catch waves through the use of paddles while the rider is seated in a kayak. Also, kneeboarders can catch waves and only rise as high as their knees rather than their feet for deeper riding in the wave. With regard to paddling into the surf, the physical stamina required diminishes as he or she ages. Stand-up paddle boards have recently been added to the equipment for wave riding, particularly for those whose upper body strength and stamina are on the wane due to age.
As experienced and accomplished surfers know, the highest performance offered when surfing is given by a short board. As aging surfers also know, paddling into and catching a wave with a short board requires the sort of physical ability not often seen in those over the age of forty.
Accordingly, there exists a need for the aging or otherwise enfeebled surfer (through injury and the like) to catch a wave and still be able to enjoy the sort of ride that is offered by a short board. The instant invention offers a long board, which is generally defined as a board between nine and twelve feet long, that can be used either lying prone or with a paddle to catch the wave, but that can be converted into a smaller board once standing on the wave in the water through a quick release action using the surfer's foot to release the excess of the board that was required to catch the wave. This excess material is made of the same sort of soft foam used in the manufacture of boogie boards.
Heretofore, there has not been a board that can be used to catch and ride waves that breaks apart in the water so as to offer the surfer the ability to ride a short board. Prior art in the field has included surfboards that can break into more than one piece, but these inventions require assembly and disassembly while outside of the water and are primarily designed to provide the ability to change the size and shape of the board on the beach, prior to paddling out, depending upon surf conditions or that provide for the breakdown of the board into smaller pieces for ease of travel. Some examples of these types of boards can be found U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,121,909 and 6,656,005.